This gold necklet was made for Sir Christopher Hawkins in 1802. The gold was dug out of the tin streamworks in the valley below Ladock church.

Silver case pocket watch from around 1760. The back is decorated with a pair of lovers. It belonged to Maria Hawkins, sister of Sir Christopher Hawkins.

Scorrier Mine Cornish penny, 1811. Tokens were given as payment instead of money, but could only be used or exchanged in certain places.

Token of Dolcoath Mine, one penny.

Mining token, half penny. This token dates to 1791 and is thought to have been issued by several mine owners.

Halfpenny, 1792. This token was issued by Birmingham Mining and Copper Company, payable at Birmingham, Redruth and Swansea. Tokens were given as payment instead of money, but could only be used or exchanged in certain places

Cornish mine token worth a penny piece, 1812.

Cornish one penny token issued by John Williams of Scorrier.

Copper one penny token, issued 1811. Payable at Scorrier House.

The manager and white collar workers outside the office of Wheal Grenville Mine, Camborne, Cornwall.

Pay day at St Just Amalgamated with Cape Cornwall in the background. The miners wear their best while they wait for their pay to be distributed.

£1 promissory note (an ‘I owe you’ note) issued by the Gundry family who were mine managers and owners. £1 in the late 1700s could buy about as much as £85 today.

A 5 Guinea note issued by the Cornish Bank in 1786. 5 guineas could buy about as much as £450 could in today’s money. Several Cornish banks were established in the late 1700s to manage the wealth of the mines, many issuing their own notes and coins.

Silver-plated cutlery marked ‘Levant Mine’ on the handles. These formed part of the dinner service at Levant Mine’s Count House (the main office for the mine). These dinners were usually reserved for owners, investors, management and special guests only.

Glass bottle seal, stamped ‘Tehiddy 1739.’ Tehidy was the family home of the Basset family, who owned several mines and huge amounts of land in the Redruth, Portreath and Camborne areas.

Ralph Allen Daniell’s rectangular snuff box. Made from expensive tortoise shell and gold. Snuff (ground tobacco) was a fashionable way for the wealthy bad smells in the 1700s.

Ralph Allen Daniell, 1795, by Henry Bone. Enamel on copper. Ralph Allen Daniell (1762-1823) came from a wealthy Cornish family. They made their money through mining trade and investment. The Daniell name can be spotted in several placenames around Truro.

Mrs Daniell, 1795, by Henry Bone. Enamel on copper. Very little is known about Mrs Elizabeth Daniell (b. around 1766), except that she and her husband had a large family together.

Miner’s hut at Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia, 1890s. Many miners migrated to Australia with their families and built their own homes as they sought to improve their fortunes.

Pewter tankard which was part of the tableware from Wheal Basset counthouse.